Into the Matrix
by Isabelle
Summary: After a year of not updating, it's COMPLETED. Sorry it took so long, takes place after Normal Again, crossover with the film "The Matrix"
1. The Blue Pill

**Into The Matrix **

by Isabelle

Disclaimers: The characters of BTVS and AtS belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, UPN and Warner Brothers and they are being used for Entertainment. The film The Matrix belong to Warner Brothers, film production company.

Summary: To try to stop Buffy from finding their hideout the Trio of nerds zap both Buffy and Spike, accidentally trapping them in the Matrix dimension, and the only way to get back if for 'Neo' aka Buffy to find her power within... along side the vampire who was told by an Oracle that he would fall in love with the chosen one.

Rating: R, for curses and violence. Spoilers: Set post 'Normal Again' 

Author's note: I needed a serious adventure after the depression of _Normal Again_, so here it is. Special thanks to Heller for her Beta!! *g* 

Feedback: If you'd like bih80reviews@yahoo.com 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"The Matrix is everywhere, it's all around us, here even in this room. You can see it out your window, or on your television. You feel it when you go to work, or go to church or pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth." Morpheus, The Matrix

Part 1: The Blue Pill

"Are you sure this is the place?" he asked her, looking up at the building. Buffy sighed. "This is were I was before I got attacked by the wax-job."

He studied her. "You sure you're feeling alright, luv."

Buffy fidgeted and nodded. "I'm fine, really I am." She looked up at him. "I wasn't myself."

Spike took one last drag from his cigarette and crushed it under him. "Right, I get it.... the poison talkin'."

Buffy sighed again. "Let's just go in get these dorks out of here, we'll talk later." Spike gave her a 'yeah right' look and just followed her, grabbing the tranquilizer gun.

~~~~~~~

"Guys, this is so not cool, I mean how many times is she going to find us." Andrew asked the other two, though he only expected an answer from Warren since Jonathan was glaring at both of them.

Warren licked his lips and stared at his Mac screen were both Buffy and Spike walked to the entrance of the apartment. "I have an idea."

"Another idea? Much good the other one did," Jonathan snorted.

Warren spun around to glare at Jonathan. "Hey! The last one was to make her think she was in an alternative reality...this time, why don't we actually put her in one?"

Andrew smiled while Jonathan frowned. "Are you sure this will work?" Andrew asked.

"C'mon, Jonathan... what reality do I put her in?" Warren asked, almost sinisterly.

Jonathan looked around--uncomfortable and licked his lips. "I don't think..."

"Don't think--just 'do', buddy," Warren asked smiling. "Where to, captain?" The palms of his hands trembled and he looked around. "Maybe a place were she still has super powers?"

"Man, why don't we send her inside the Matrix?" Andrew asked excitedly.

Warren smiled slowly. "What do you saw Jonathan? Time to use your magic bone again?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Let me climb up, maybe they're on the second floor..." Buffy huffed as she went up the fire escape ladder.

Spike watched her climb and looked around, making sure there was no one around--then he looked back up at her. "Buffy?" he called.

She stopped and looked down at him. "What?" she hissed.

The look on his face was priceless. He pouted his lips just a bit and his eyes squinted. "Be careful, huh?"

She looked at him for a moment then gave him a small smile. "I will."

Spike nodded as she continued climbing. He had actually been terrified when he had left her that way. Afraid that perhaps it was true... was he only figment of her imagination? All those years were nothing... particles of cells in her brain. But then why would she want him to fall in love with her...a small smile appeared in his face. He was too focused on his own thought to see what happened before she screamed and started falling off the building. But he quickly snapped to attention and leap up, to catch her before she hit the pavement. He quickly hugged her to him and she wrapped her small arms around his neck.

"What happened?" he asked looking around a place to put her. Though she weighed nothing--like a feather. Her face was buried in his neck and she was breathing heavily. He finally yanked an abandoned car door opened and placed her gently on the passenger seat. She still wouldn't let go of his neck and he had to pry her small powerful hands from his neck. "Pet, let me look at you." he pleaded.

She slid her hands from his neck and sagged back on the seat, calming down. He quickly checked her legs and arms, then her chest... she wasn't hurt. He frowned. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

Buffy shook her head. "The band of idiots shot me with some type of ray gun, and the light from the gun covered all of Sunnydale."

Spike growled. "They shot you again?"

She looked at him. "How did you move that fast?"

Spike arched his eyebrow. "Vampire," he reminded her.

She shook her head. "No, I mean you moved fast...faster than anything I've ever seen." Spike wanted to dismiss it, the thought of her being splat in the ground made him move that fast... until he actually looked at her. When they came hunting for the nerds she was wearing a white coat. Now she was dressed head to toe in... black leather. He stood up and looked at her... her hair that was loose when they came was tied in a pony tail and she had sunglasses on.

Buffy finally looked at him... sure, Spike was always in black and leather coat... but she didn't think she'd ever seen him in... leather pants....and sunglasses. "Ok...Neo, what the hell is going on?" she asked.

"Oh, you're asking me, Trinity." he countered, then looked in horror to himself.

Buffy quickly got out of the car and glared at herself. "Where's my coat?"

Spike fumed. "Where's mine?"

"Ok, I'm going to kill them," Buffy fumed as she walked towards the building again. Only to stop at her tracks. She looked around.... it was daylight... Spike was in the daylight... and this was most definitely not Sunnydale. "Spike." she said softly, looking at all the people around her-- this was what it looked like New York. Spike was busy looking under the car for his coat. "Spike!"

He pulled out and glared at her. "They took m'bloody coat, Slayer!"

She pointed around her. "Look were we're at! You're in the daylight! We aren't in Sunnydale!"

Spike looked around himself and focused on the sunlight, playing on his hands. "Bloody 'ell."

Buffy nodded and sighed. "Yeah, bloody hell is right."

~~~~~~

"It worked!" Warren cried happily as the body of both Spike and Buffy disappeared before their eyes.

"Wont they be killed?" Jonathan asked worriedly.

"Maybe, but it's not out doing now." Warren smiled. "Let's see if the slayer and her vampire are fast enough."

~~~~~~~

Spike and Buffy stayed close together as they walked slowly through the streets of the city.

"So it isn't New York?" she asked him. He shook his head. "But it looks like New York." He nodded. Buffy sighed. "This is ridiculous! How much more do those jerks want to screw my life up?"

People passing by stared at her outburst and Spike promptly grabbed her pulled her to a nearby alley.

"You saw the film, right." he asked her.

She nodded. "Everyone saw the film."

"Do you know what's out to hunt us?"

Buffy's eyes went wide. "Those men."

"Right, the agents."

"But... but we don't have a phone to run to." She said, looking around. "How about weapons?"

Both of them opened their coat and starred at awe at the weapons on them. "Holy shit," Buffy whispered.

Spike smirked as he brought his gun up and studied it. "Oh yes."

Buffy glared at him. "Hello! We're trapped in some type of Matrix-like dimension and we have no idea how to get back!"

"I don't think this is a Matrix dimension, pet." Spike whispered.

Buffy frowned. "Then what."

"I think we're in the actual movie itself."

"Maybe we got poisoned and we're hallucinating," She said, very hopeful.

"Maybe..." he said. "But if we were... then we better run."

She looked at him as he replaced his gun and his body went rigid. Ok, she had to admit he did look damn fine with those sunglasses.

"Why is that?"

Spike looked at the mouth of the alley. "Cause we've been found."

Buffy slowly turned to look and there were three men dressed in gray suits sporting black sunglasses and poised to fight.

"Run!"

~~~~~~~~~~~

She had no clue how she had become so fast and strong in a matter of minutes, but this was definitely not slayer strength... it was as if she was yielding the powers of nature and the powers of mind and body, from what she could see he was doing it too.

.... they needed to find out what the heck was going on.

Spike's legs moved and turned in a way he never even dreamed, what gave it away was the harsh breathing coming from his chest.

He saw an opening in the sewer and grabbed Buffy's hand, increasing their speed.

Buffy turned to look at the men following them but Spike's tugging of her hand distracted her.

Suddenly Spike stopped... a dead stop. He had no clue how he did it, but they were stopped. He turned around to look at the gray-suited men and pulled out his gun, aiming it at them

Without thinking it he shot them--five straight shots. Following his lead, she pulled out her own weapon and shot them.

Right before their eyes the men moved so fast the bullets wouldn't touch them. Spike stopped and cursed.

The men straightened themselves and smirked.

"Go!" Spike pushed Buffy down the sewer and jumped in after her.

"We need to get to the ringing phone!" She cried at him.

Spike looked both ways, almost expected to slip into his demon facade but nothing happened. He cursed the darkness for the first time in a long time. 

Before either could think of anything else the three suits fell through the sewer hole after them. Buffy ran the other way, pulling a confused Spike with her.

"We wont find a phone in the sewer!" he cried at her, running with all his might, the water in the floor splashing as they ran.

Then in an instant, a little intercom in Buffy's ear started talking.

"Buffy! Are you there?" 

The confused slayer looked around, Spike in the meantime took out his gun and started shooting again, making the gray suits stop and dodge the bullets.

The slayer pressed her finger to the ear phone. "Who's this?"

The voice sounded clear. "Buffy, it's me, Tank--there's a phone on 25th and Rolston--you can make it."

Buffy looked around wildly finding a wood door she kicked it opened and grabbed Spike's arm with her. They closed the door behind them, both breathing hard. "We need to get to 25th and Rolston... do you know were that's at?" she asked him.

Spike shook his head. 

Buffy pressed her finger to the ear piece. "Listen, you have to guide me through it, I don't know were I'm at."

A deeper voice got on the line. "Ok, Buffy listen to me. Make a right on the corridor you're at." Spike followed Buffy as they went though the tunnels. "There will be some stairs about twenty feet form you," he paused. "Stop! Don't move, don't breathe."

Both slayer and vampire stood stock still.

"Run up the stairs, NOW!"

She grabbed Spike and they leaped up the stairs, coming to the light once more, without looking behind her she knew the agents were following her.

"Make a left on the coming street and enter the little flower shop." 

They did as told. 

"Run to the back!"

They leap to the back. "Go out the back door and run towards your left on the alley."

People screamed at them as they knocked stuff over in their run. 

"Climb the metal fence."

Spike looked at her and without even trying they were almost flying over the fence, as they handed their hands intertwined and she pulled on him. "Run to the end of the alley and there the phone will be at."

Sure enough the phone was ringing. 

Spike looked at her and then at the agents. 

"Go!"

She quickly got the phone and pressed it to her ear. 

Spike watched as she disappeared into it, he blinked twice before he felt a bullet his shoulder. He cried out and turned to looks at the agents. 

"Bloody bastards!"

The phone began ringing again and he quickly picked it up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TBC.....


	2. The Rabbit Hole

Part 2: The Rabbit Hole

Buffy sat up and gasped. There was a huge pain in the back of her skull and she cringed when she remembered what had happened.

"Just relax, Buffy." A smooth voice told her.

She took a deep breath and steadied herself. "Spike got shot."

She opened her eyes and looked around wildly. "Where is he?"

But the groaning sound next to her told her enough. She jumped off her chair and helped him sit up and he winced from the metal bar being pulled from the back of his skull.

"You ok?" she asked him softly, checking his body for wounds.

"I got shot, the bloody bastards shot me," he groaned and looked at his shoulder. He was more surprised to see no black trench coat or no bullet wound--yet the pain was still there.

She looked at his shoulder and touched the exposed skin, tentatively. He winced and drew his shoulder out of the way. "Nothing's there."

"It's all in the mind."

Both Buffy and Spike looked up at the voice.

"Oh my god, it's Laurence Fishburne," she murmured in awe.

The man looked confused. "What?"

Buffy's face fell and she panicked. "This can't be real."

Spike nodded in agreement and stood up along with her.

Buffy looked around wildly, her hand reaching out for the back of her head and with wide eyes she discovered the hole in her skull. Spike looked at her with the same statement of confusion. "What the hell is going on?" she demanded from Morpheus.

"You know who you are, Buffy--you're the one."

~~~~~~~~~

"Haven't they been gone long enough?" Jonathan asked nervously.

Warren rolled his eyes and sighed. "They're not our problem now--we continue with our plans. No Slayer after... Sunnydale is ours."

~~~~~~~~~

"You mean to say, Spike that you don't remember anything of the time we've spent together?" Morpheus asked the blond who was currently hairless.

He had freaked when he first found out, Buffy's hair was the same length, she had it up in a ponytail but he was hairless, with little soft stubs growing.

"I told you again, mate. Buffy and me are from another place, only when we got inserted into your reality everything changed.... the guy you want is Neo. Neo is the chosen one, not Buffy."

"Well I am chosen... in a way--in my dimension... you see it's very complicated." she smiled at the large man.

Morpheus looked at Tank, who raised his eyebrow and shrugged.

"Perhaps there's been a 'glitch in the Matrix... "

"A time continuum?" Tank finished.

Morpheus nodded and looked back at the unlikely couple who were huddled close by.

"I think there's only one person who can help us solve this," he said.

"The Oracle?" Buffy asked tentatively.

Morpheus looked at her and nodded. "How did you know?"

Buffy shrugged. "I watched the movie."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Willow, Tara, Xander and Dawn stood in the Summer's living room staring at each other.

"They've been gone for roughly 38 hours?" Xander asked. Dawn and Willow nodded.

"You think they could've gotten kidnapped..." Dawn asked, almost afraid.

"Perhaps, they're bu-busy," Tara suggested.

Xander looked at her. "Busy doing what?"

Tara ducked her head and looked around at the floor.

~~~~~~~~~~~

It was night... well it was always night here. Buffy sighed as she laid on her cot looking up at the ceiling. The first thing she was going to do when she got home was kill those dorks that had gotten her into this mess to begin with.

She turned on her side, facing the wall and bit her lip.

She was lonely.

Spike was in the bunk two doors down. But... she missed him.

He had still accepted and respected what she had said.

They were over.

She grew restless and flopped back on her back. After fifteen minutes of counting the dust particles on her metal ceiling she sat up on her bed and padded out of her room.

The hall was cold and she shuddered, wrapping her thin arms around herself.

She stood before his open door... he was sleeping. At least it looked like he was sleeping.

He was lying on his side, facing the wall like she had done before she gave up and... came to him.

"I know you're there, Slayer." he murmured.

Buffy sighed and gave in, padding lightly into his room.

He turned to face her, it was weird looking at him without his bleached hair, now he had a soft fuzz of dark brown hair.

"Come for a bit of cold comfort?" he asked her.

She didn't respond but just stared at him, impassively.

He sighed and rolled back to were he was at. He really didn't feel like playing games with her.

She said nothing but carefully laid down next to him, her small body lightly spooning him.

He froze and turned to face her.

Her eyes gave her away.

She was scared.

He sighed and wrapped his arms around her, letting her head rest on the crook of his neck. Buffy sighed and breathed in his smell. She felt safe here... almost complete.

She looked up at him, his pale lids were closed and she smiled. Then something happened... something almost cute that made her do another something. He wrinkled his nose... she'd never seen him wrinkle his nose. So she kissed it.

His eyes flew open and he looked at her in the dark. There was a question in them, she couldn't begin to answer it so she settled for running her small hand over the fuzz that now covered his head.

"Brown?" she asked.

He had to admit that felt damn good. He closed his eyes and let her rub tiny patterns on his head.

"Yup," he answered after a while.

"It's soft," she whispered.

He took her exploring hand in his and kissed her palm. "We'll get back home... were it's bleached and stiff."

She looked at him. "Promise?"

He nodded and said no more.

That was enough for her as she cuddled herself against him ... after a while she discovered he snored.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ok, gone for 4 days, really freaked out now." Xander paced back and forth in the Summer's living room.

Tara nervously wrapped her fingers in her scarf, twisting it until her fingers went blue. "Maybe... well maybe they lost track of time."

Xander glared at her. "Lost track of time? Doing what? Disappearing?"

"Hey! Tara has nothing to do with this!" Willow stood in front of Xander, glaring at her best friend. Tara ducked her head and looked down at her fingers.

Xander sighed and a guilty expression crossed his face. "Tara, I'm sorry--didn't mean to take it out on you."

Tara shook her head. "It-It's ok, Xander, we're all worried." She looked over at Dawn who was cuddled up to her softly crying, and she wrapped her arms tighter around her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike and Buffy both looked at each other as Morpheus sat in the chair himself.

"Just relax, your body will adjust itself, after a while you won't even feel it," Morpheus said.

That chair that had that metal thing to be stuck in the base of their skull. Buffy winced but sat there anyway. "Right, nothing like having a metal stick rammed up your head."

Spike glanced at the chair impassively, but figured they had to see the Oracle to get back home.... and hope that his hair wasn't really shaved off.

They locked eyes before their eyes went wide at the uncomfortable and unfamiliar feeling of going back into the Matrix.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ok.... is that supposed to happen?" Andrew asked Warren as he looked at him carefully.

Warren typed quickly into his Mac... then sighed and raised his hands in surrender.

"Whatever happened it wasn't me.... it's like the computer took over."

Jonathan pushed Warren out of the way. "Computers don't take over! Bring them back now!"

Warren shook his head. "I didn't do it... it's like they're lost."

Andrew's eyes got really big. "Dude, do you think the Matrix took over?"

Jonathan snorted. "Of course not, you idiot..." he looked at Warren who was biting his nails. "Right?" he didn't answer. Jonathan got pissed and grabbed him by the lapels of his shirt. "Right?" he screamed.

Warren shook him off and pushed him to the floor. "I told you, I don't know... it's like the computer wants to keep them there... like it's protecting them."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TBC.....

(Preview for the next part: Spike watched the woman carefully, controlling his every movement. She was not going to figure him out. The woman turned to him and smiled. "You're already in love with her, Spike, I can't add to that." She smiled kindly.

Spike looked down. "Yeah, but it's no use if she doesn't love me."

"Is that a fact?")


	3. The Oracle

Part 3: The Oracle

Before she knew it she had landed on her feet and was dressed back in her black leather pants and a tank top. She felt a gun poking at her side and another in her hand. Her sunglasses were also back in place. Next to her Spike was back with his bleached locks and dressed head to toe in black leather...with the sunglasses that had her melting.

She shook herself...home...focus on going back home.

Spike smirked at his leather coat. "You think that after we're done with this I can keep the coat?"

Morpheus remained serious. "It's not real..."

"I know, it's a bloody concoction of my imagination." Spike smirked and grabbed a bag that was heavy enough to tell him it was full of weapons.

Buffy looked around the warehouse they had landed in and hitched closer to Spike. "I think I have a blade strapped to my leg," she whispered.

He looked at her and smirked. "Me too."

She took out her weapon as they followed Morpheus into the street. "Aren't I the only who can kill the Agent guys?"

Spike grabbed her hand taking the weapon and concealing it in the bag he was carrying. "Watch yourself, luv--remember in this world people go on about their merry ways."

Buffy snorted. "Not much different from back home." She looked down. "Seems like everywhere I go I'm the chosen one or I'm not normal at all."

Spike clicked his tongue against his lower teeth and nodded. "That tells you one thing, Slayer."

She shrugged. "That I'll never have a normal life?"

"No... that your soul is different. What you are at home...that's your normality and until you accept that you won't be happy."

Morpheus interrupted the two. "Come this way, the place is not far from here."

~~~~~~~~

"Nothing on the east side?" Tara asked Xander as they all checked in the Summer's household. Xander shook his head. "Cemetery?" Tara asked Anya.

"Spike's crypt is empty."

Tara looked at Willow. "Willy's?"

"Nothing, Willy hasn't heard of anything."

Tara bit her lips. "And we still don't know where the Nerds are hiding?"

"Well, me and Xander could go check out where Buffy thought they'd last be... I have a sick feeling that somehow they're behind this."

Xander nodded. "When a Nerd annoys a Nerd annoys."

~~~~~~~~~

The building was like any other, brick outside with passing strangers that knew nothing of what really went on in the inside.

"She always sees people alone, so one at a time," Morpheus instructed them.

Both blondes nodded and followed the dark man into the building. When they entered the small apartment building, just like Buffy expected, there were many children on the floor.

"Who's the one with the bendy spoon?" Spike asked her quietly with a small smirk on his face. Buffy rolled her eyes and looked around... most of them were hairless.

"Buffy, you go ahead, the Oracle has already seen Spike..." Morpheus thought about it. "Just go first, Spike can wait."

Spike nodded at Buffy when she looked up at him for support. "I'll be right here, luv."

Buffy took a deep breath and followed the kind woman through the doors. Spike watched her disappear and sighed, sitting down on the nearest couch.

A little boy next to him pulled on his pant leg. He looked down and groaned. "I get the soddin' spoon twisting."

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hello, Buffy."

Buffy looked ahead startled ... the woman had her back turned to her.

"Are you going to tell me I'm going to trip on a plant or something?"

The woman chuckled and turned around. "Poor Neo, he kept apologizing."

Buffy's face lit up. "You know we're not supposed to be here?"

The Oracle smiled and then took her cookies from the oven. "You're the chosen one... the Vampire Slayer, am I right?"

Buffy grinned. "Yes, god...I never thought I'd be so happy to hear that."

"Takes losing something to know what you have," the Oracle responded. "Have a seat." The Slayer obeyed. "Milk for the cookies?"

Buffy nodded. "Chocolate milk, please."

"I know."

Buffy shivered. "How do I get back... we, how do we get back?"

"You and your vampire?"

Buffy's eyes went wide. "I...we...it's very complicated, you see..."

"There's no need to explain it to me." The Oracle set the cookies and the chocolate milk in front of Buffy.

Buffy looked down and bit her lip. "God, am I that terrible?"

"Hush now, child, there'll be no such talk here. You are not terrible at all. Never were and won't be."

Buffy looked up at her. "I just want to go home."

"Home where you hate yourself and what you've become, home where you sulk and drown in self pity? Home where you have to pay bills and take care of your sister... where mom is dead?"

Tears were prickling at Buffy's eyes. "It's still home."

The Oracle smiled and took her hands in hers. "You needed to realize that."

~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was smiling when she came out of the kitchen and Spike arched his eyebrow in question. She met his eyes and shook her head.

"You okay?" he asked concerned.

She smiled at him. "Better than what I've been in a long time."

Spike nodded. "Right, then...my turn." He looked at the door and took a deep breath.

"Hey," she said and he looked down at her. "She's great, she won't probe you for anything that you don't want to talk about."

With that and a small squeeze of his hand he walked towards the woman who would tell him everything he knew.

~~~~~~~~

"Don't worry about the glass," she said as he came in.

Spike looked around and in doing so knocked down the glass of milk Buffy had been drinking. He groaned.

"Thought I would see it, you're so shelled in I can read you more easily--you're covering yourself up with your fears."

Spike glared and then nodded at her, bending down to pick up the pieces of glass. She gave him a rag to wipe the milk up with and sat on the table waiting for him to finish.

"Have a seat," she said, smiling.

He eyed her carefully and sat, looking at her warily.

"You want hot cocoa... with marshmallows, no?" She smiled, not waiting for his response and started preparing the substance.

Spike watched the woman carefully, controlling his every movement. She was not going to figure him out. The woman turned to him and smiled. "You're already in love with her, Spike, I can't add to that." She smiled kindly.

Spike looked down. "Yeah, but it's no use if she doesn't love me."

"Is that a fact?"

His head shot up to look at her. "What are you saying?"

The Oracle continued to stir the warm milk on the stove. "I know where you come from, I know who you are, and I know what you are." She filled a mug with the warm milk and dropped the syrupy chocolate in. She set it before him and watched him play with the floating white squares.

"Does that means she loves me?"

The Oracle sat before him. "No, it doesn't."

Spike bit the inside of his lips and decided that instead of hot cocoa he wanted Bourbon.

"Doesn't mean she never will, though--she's not there yet but very close." the woman smiled. "And stop trying to drown your sorrows in alcohol."

Spike gave her a small grin. "How do we get back home?"

"The same way you came in."

"We were zapped." Spike arched his eyebrow at her. "Please don't speak in riddles."

"Only she can get you back," the woman took his half drained cup and dumped the rest in the sink. "Remember this, nothing is what it seems."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy was warily eyeing the child with the bending spoon trick when Morpheus burst in. Her blood ran cold --she knew something was up.

"We've got Agents."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

TBC.... 

(PREVIEW FOR NEXT PART:   
Buffy felt heat rush through her body and the bullets entered her chest. She heard Spike screaming her name in the background but all she could think was that she was dying... again. The only word she could get past her bloody lips was 'sorry' as she hit the pavement.)


	4. The One

Part 4: The One

If she had time to smile she would at the reaction her body had--it was as if it moved on it's own volition. Standing and almost sensing when Spike walked out the kitchen and followed her and Morpheus. "They're already assembling outside--we have to distract them away from here," Morpheus told them.

Spike looked up. "The roof."

Buffy nodded and before she knew it her small legs were speeding in rates she had never dreamed of.

"This way," Morpheus said over his shoulder to the Slayer and the vampire and ran up the stairs with them in tow. They ran to the ledge of the roof and looked down. The humanoid agents automatically looked up and met their eyes.

"Damn," Spike cursed and grabbed Buffy's hands, "we have to jump."

Buffy looked around wildly--the next building was a good twenty feet away... and it was taller. She halted and looked at the two men.

"There's no way--I saw this scene, Neo ends up kissing the pavement."

"Don't think about it, Buffy--it's in you. Just tell your mind you can do it and you will, simple as that."

"Can I tell my body not to break into a million pieces when I land?" She asked heatedly and glaring at Spike who was already in position to jump.

"Actually you can... you are the one." He was calm and collected--she wanted to rip his head off. She groaned loudly.

"I'm real--don't you get that--this fall will kill me!"

A warm hand wrapped around her trembling one. She looked up at Spike. "I won't let you go." Ok--it was more of a challenge. Spike was willing to do it, and she--the chosen one, was not. She gripped his hand and nodded.

"Now!" Morpheus cried and he ran and she saw him jump... twenty feet and rising --landing perfect on both feet, knees bent.

"You see, simple as pie," Spike smiled.

"Pie is actually very complicated," she told him and bit her lip.

"Yeah, but you don't think of that when you eat it, do you?" She looked up at him and nodded again--almost trying to convince herself. "Listen, we can't get back home unless you find a way around this--the Oracle said it was all up to you."

"Up to me?"

The conversation was cut short as both of them heard the door leading to the roof being ripped open. There stood all three agents. A tug of her hand was all she felt as Spike pulled her and they ran.

_I can jump I can jump I can jump...._

Her mantra kept going on and on in her head.

And they jumped.

Yet the agents behind them were already firing when they jumped. She had no idea how she made it but she did, her legs lifted her into the air, Spike's secure hand wrapped hers and they made it. They landed and rolled on the ground, quickly standing up and staring at each other in amazement.

"Wow," she said, breathlessly.

Spike nodded, not really believing himself that they had actually crossed.

Buffy turned to look at the agents.. but she felt heat rush through her body as the bullets entered her chest. She heard Spike screaming her name in the background but all she could think was that she was dying... again. The only word she could get past her bloody lips was 'sorry' as she hit the pavement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ok, guys, I'm really starting to worry... if Buffy would leave..." Willow said.

"Buffy wouldn't just leave, especially with Captain Peroxide--no way no how!" Xander denied.

"Xander we don't know anything," Tara said gently--she had really begun to worry. The last time she had seen Buffy she was not in the healthiest of emotional conditions.

"We've searched Sunnydale high and low--we've contacted the Angel crew and they've heard nothing nor seen anything..." Willow said.

"Plus they have more problems than they can deal with," Xander snorted.

They all nodded.

"Where's Dawn?" he asked.

"Her room... Anya's with her," Tara sipped her hot cocoa.

"We need to find those nerds... and we need to get Buffy back," Willow said, very determined.

"And Spike," Tara reminded her.

Willow smiled at her. "And Spike."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Think, think, think," Warren chanted over and over to himself. This was not good--something he couldn't control was never good. He thought he had it all under control but of course there was always a loophole, an Achille's heel.

What was his? He had no clue but he knew it was there. His plan was falling apart and they had had to move all of their equipment four times in the past 48 hours because the Scoobies were hot on their trail... only they didn't know it.

"Anything?" Andrew asked. He was a mass of pure nerves. Shivering once in a while and biting his nails until they bled.

Warren sighed and avoided eye contact with any of his other companions. "No... nothing."

"This is not cool, man, not cool," Andrew said while Jonathan huffed in the background.

Warren was reaching his patience limit--if he didn't find Buffy and Spike in the next couple of hours he was going to give up. What's the worst that could happen?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

His hands were shaking as he lifted her now frail body in his arms and ran as fast as he thought his feet could carry him... they went faster. This heart that they had implanted in him was pounding in his chest but all he could think about was getting Buffy to the phone. Turning the corner a large hand grabbed his shoulder and pushed him into the alley. It was Morpheus.

"How is she?" he asked.

Spike shook his head and looked at the trembling unconscious girl in his arms. "Not good, mate."

Morpheus pushed Buffy's sweat dampened hair from her forehead. "Buffy? Can you hear me?"

She moaned and clutched at Spike. "Spike?" she whispered.

Spike griped her closer. "I'm here, luv."

She whimpered. Spike looked at Morpheus frantically. "Do something!"

"It's in her mind--she must realize that."

Spike growled. "She's bloody unconscious, you 'nit! You try tellin' her that!"

Morpheus put on his resolve face and shook Buffy making her groan. "Listen to me, Buffy--you're not shot--this isn't real. It's in your head! Do you hear me?"

Inside her head everything was turning like a bright roller coaster that showed the earth and then the sky the next moment. She wanted to clutch desperately for something--anything but it was all too quick. She could feel something surrounding her and then something speaking to her--speaking to her in different tongues.

... but something else was calling her. A luring chant. A welcomed embrace from long ago. That place of peace or warmth.. of darkness. She wanted that place, craved it even--it made all the sense in the world yet none at all. One could not have understood it unless one had been there.

...who had been there?

It was a gawking familiarity that was killing her inside.

_Buffy....Buffy...Listen to him.._.

Was that reality? Someone was calling her... someone that meant.. something to her... someone that was so near yet so far away at the same time.

_It's not real... this is not real, it's all in your mind..._

Realities were shifting under her nose. Where was she at? One moment she was floating the next moment she was falling.

Falling... 

Falling... 

Falling...

Into a bottomless pit... then she realized... she didn't want to fall... she didn't want to be alone... there were things she cared about... people she loved and that mattered.

It was as if she froze in place. She opened her eyes and there is was. A door at the end of the tunnel--a door that was lit in florescent blue light. She started for it... almost there--she broke out into a run and yanked it open without further thought.

She jerked awake in his arms, and he almost let out a shout of triumph. "Buffy?"

She looked around wildly. "I'm not gone."

Spike set her down and let her lean against the wall. He tucked in a loose strand of hair. "Slayer?"

She grabbed the hand that was touching her hair and brought it to her chest. He looked in awe as the wound that she had nearly died from was completely healed, only a thin white scar grazed her golden skin. "I know how to get home," she said as she breathed in deeply. "Call Tank--ask him to look for a coding that contains many 8's."

"Many 8's?" Morpheus asked confused.

"Yes, you two work on that and I'll distract the agents," she said, grabbing Spike's gun and cocking it loudly.

"Buffy! They almost killed you," Spike tried to reason with her as Morpheus called Tank.

She smiled and him and hefted up the large weapon. "Yeah--but this time I know how to defeat them." She grabbed him quickly and pressed her lips to him, pulling back she winked and walked out of the alley.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

TBC... 

(PREVIEW FOR THE NEXT PART: "Hum... Buffy? One of those out of the ballpark questions... why are you holding Spike's hand?" Xander asked.)


	5. Click you Heals

Part 5: Click Your Heels 

It was right before they rounded the building when she emerged from the slight fog that hissed it's way through the city.

A gun in hand, a smirk in her face.

"Hello boys," she grinned and winked at them.

The leader found it a bit humorous.

"Well, well well--tired of running, Miss Summers?" he asked.

"More like tired of being chased, being shot, and being threatened. You can mess with Neo, you can mess with Spike, you can mess with Morpheus, but you cannot mess with the slayer."

One of them cracked their neck and leered at her. "I'm going to enjoy killing you."

"Likewise." she snapped and before they would move her gun was in the air at the same time that her body was looking for cover.

A bullet his the leader's left eye, snapping the sunglasses they perpetually wore. 

He growled and stalked up to her, his body dodging the bullets she was firing. Getting tired of her weapon, she grabbed a trash lid next to her and before he could move she brought it smack against his face.

Then flipped quickly and back slapped him, making his snap.

He stumbled back wards but was up in a flash, punching her twice. She was prepared for the next one and easily dodged it, grabbing his arms instead, flipping him on his back.

She straddle him faster than he could respond and with out thinking, pinned his wrist--her body, on it's own began decomposing and entering itself through his gapping mouth. He was wriggling and shaking underneath until she was completely in.

He stood up and quickly looked over the his two companions.

"What the--"

But the line was never finished as his skin started shafting, small particles of lights started to emerge from his pores and he started shaking--he looked at them in horror one last time before no longer was he standing but Buffy, as the lead agent in 100 million pieces.

Buffy's eyes were closed as small green sparkles fluttered from her fingertips and mouth.

"I am the one," she said--though her voice was not her own, it sounded like legions saying it.

The other agents looked at what had become of their leader, then back up to the slayer who had now opened her eyes and were flickering an eerie green color. One last look before they sped the other way and ran for their dear lives.

Buffy smirked.

"Now that was nifty," she said, smiling as she brought her hand to her face and the sparkles reacted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Lots of 8's??" Tank asked, a bit confused.

"That's what she said," Morpheus responded and sighed, looking over to were Spike was anxiously waiting Buffy's return.

"Give me some time, I need more specifics than that," he told the man.

"I know... she out there right now taking care of the agents..."

"Are you crazy, man?" Tank asked, a bit flustered.

"I think she did alright for herself," Spike said from behind him. Morpheus turned to look at were Spike was smiling and there was Buffy running down the street, looking up at Spike.

She grabbed on to the fire stairs of the building and started climbing, looking up at Spike, smiling. "Miss me?"

"Too much," he told her, smiling back down at her. Meeting her at the stairs he leaned in.

Without getting off she met him half way, never taking her eyes off him and kissed him on the top of the building.

His hand went around her waist as he pulled her back up, she wrapped her legs around him, giving into the kiss.

When he pulled back she was hanging on to him for dear life but there was a smile plastered on her face. He reached out and tucked a stray hair from her face. "You seem different." He said, then kissed her again. "You taste different." He smirked at her laughing face. "You cut your hair or something', slayer?"

"Nope," she took her head and kissed him once more. "Just got a little energy booster."

He arched his eyebrow suggestively. "Is that so..."

She jumped off him and smacked him across the chest. "Perv."

He leaned in to grab her once more. "You know you love it."

She grabbed his hands and pinned them behind himself. "You are--"

"I hate to break this little moment," Morpheus was looking at them as if they'd grown another head. "But Tank found the frequency."

"Great!" Buffy chirped and pulled Spike in for another kiss. "I'm ready..." she took a deep breath. "We're ready."

She reached for Spike's hand and turned to look at Morpheus who was still a bit weary of the couple. "Right... then, home we go."

"The frequency has been reached--it's ready, Morpheus." Tank's voice was heard in a scratchy tone through the intercom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was not about giving up, it was about loosing a fight to a ...computer. Warren couldn't do that, not for anything was worth. It was his dick-pride that was at stake here and he was not going to loose that, especially in front of Andrew and Jonathan.

"Anything?" Andrew asked once more, like a parasite on his shoulder.

Warren took a deep breath, to calm himself from ripping out every single hair on Andrew's body just to make him suffer. "I will tell you if I find--"

_Wake up, the Matrix has you._

All three of them stared at the screen. None said anything.

"Is this... is this some sort of joke?" Warren asked shakily.

_Welcome them back, guys._

Andrew jumped back because at that same moment a loud thunder was heard outside, lightening illuminating the clear-sky in the night.

"Oh god, some divine god of the Matrix is punishing us!" Andrew cried, horrified.

Warren smacked the back of his head and glared at him. "Put yourself together. It's some sick joke, that's what it is."

Jonathan was starring out of the window, numb. "Guys..."

Andrew ran after Jonathan and peered out the window, gapping at what he saw. "I vote we go to Mexico." he peeped.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She remembered the feeling at the exact moment she was pulled from Heaven, it was like being put through a washer and dryer process. It suctioned at your ears, nose and lips.

Horrible feeling. The stronger the feeling got the more she held on to the Spike, his arms were around her also and she could also feel him shaking beneath his leather coat.

The thought of dying was actually quite prominent in her thoughts and she wondered if they would fall somehow in the wrong place, in the middle of daylight or on boiling acid...not that she'd ever seen boiling acid in California but she was sure, with her luck that it was a possibility.

When they finished spinning and rinsing, they were lying on the ground. "Buffy?"

She stirred and looked up at him. "Did we fall asleep and dream?"

Spike's brows furrowed. "Could be. Wouldn't doubt it."

She nodded and slowing eased herself off him. They both stood up, looking around the place they'd been the moment before they disappeared.

"I swear, my life is too strange for words. If someone were ever to make a TV show out of me, people would never watch it, no one would believe this shit!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Nothing, absolutely nothing." Willow ranted, as she furiously typed in her laptop. 

Tara eased herself beside her. "Honey, maybe you should get some sleep."

Willow sighed and looked at her. "What if Buffy.... " she couldn't bring herself to say it. "You know and it was all because I needed to take a nap. I mean, could I live with myself because of that?"

Tara smiled at her, taking her shaking hand. "The only thing I know is that Buffy would be happy if you didn't exhaust yourself. She'd want you to--"

"Sleep. I need sleep."

Both women jumped as the front door was slammed and a yawning Buffy was heard coming in the front of the house.

"Buffy!" Willow cried.

The slayer turned to look at her friends. "Hey, guys!"

"You're ok!" Willow threw herself at her, hugging her so tight Buffy would've guessed she'd suddenly inherited slayer powers. 

"How long was I gone?"

Willow pulled back to look at her. "It's been almost a week, a week, Buffy!"

"I was taken, or sucked into this other reality and the... god, it's so complicated."

Willow was seething. "The troika did it, didn't they?"

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know, I just need to sleep. I'm so tired, later--I promise I'll give you the full scoop."

"Spike. Where's Spike, Buffy?" Tara inquired.

To Willow's horror, Buffy's face lit up at the mention of the vampire. "Oh! He's finishing his cigarette. I told him he couldn't smoke inside."

As if on cue Spike walked in the house, hair disheveled, duster dirtier than usual. 

"It was a jolly-ride, really. Sign me up for the next show --not!" he glared. 

"It wasn't us, it was the troika." Tara explained. "We've been looking for you for the past week."

"Where's Dawn?" Buffy asked suddenly. 

"She's fine, we just haven't been able to get her to go to school." Willow explained quickly.

"She's missed school?" Buffy asked horrified.

"What's going on--" Xander and Anya were coming down the stairs.

"Buffy!" Anya cried when she saw the slayer.

The petite blond that Spike had seen a moment ago was enveloped by another larger blonde.

"You're ok! And not dead, this is so beneficial! I had horrid memories of the summer you were dead and how I hardly had any sex during that time and I thought that might continue for years and years to come."

Buffy pried Anya off her and smiled awkwardly. "It's ok, Anya, I'm ok. We were trapped in this other dimension... you know, I'm too tired for this."

She smiled over at Xander who was looking grateful she was ok. "Thank you all for taking care of things while I was gone."

"No problem, Buffster." Xander told her, nodding. "You had the worst end of it, being stuck with bleach-boy."

Buffy realized that Spike was still standing behind her, it was funny how she could forget that since his presence always near her had almost made it a unamity.

She turned to look at him, his eyes were slightly downcast. It broke her heart, she had to do something about this once and for all.

She gently reached down and look hi hand in hers, crossing their fingers together. His head snapped up to meet hers, eyes questioning her movement.

She smiled at him and nodded. She might've been tired but this could not be put off another moment longer.

"Hum... Buffy? One of those out of the ballpark questions... why are you holding Spike's hand?" Xander asked.

"Because I love him." she answered simply, looking back at her friends and beaming at him.

Tara smiled at her and nodded. Willow gapped and alternated between frowning and looking at Tara's smiling face. Anya shrugged. "Congratulations! This is exciting news, we were worried you'd go catatonic over Riley being in town and all but thank goodness you found someone else. It's really for the best."

Xander started laughing. "Oh god, Buffster, that is the funniest joke you've said since... now, I don't think I've ever heard anything as funny."

Spike glared at Xander but Buffy's strong grip held him back.

"It's not a joke, Xander. We've been together for almost nine months now... I just haven't been brave enough to say anything... to anyone... or even to Spike." she looked up at him.

"Didn't mind the wait, pet."

"Oh jeez... " was the last words that were heard from Xander before he fainted. 

Anya glared down at him. "Alexander Harris! You're too predictable!"

-------------- 

The End

a/n: I'm sorry this took such a ridiculous amount of time to be updated and finished. My writing was really not with me at all lately because I've been so happy with the show that I found no need to change anything. I'm trying to finish up all of my fictions started and this one was the first who deserved it.


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